Southwest Florida travelers face delays amid storms and shutdown fears

FORT MYERS, Fla. (WINK) — Spring breakers traveling through Southwest Florida International Airport are facing delays as thunderstorms move through the area and concerns about a government shutdown loom over federal workers.

Lawrence Irons and his friends experienced a nine-hour delay traveling to Fort Myers. They slept on the airport floor before finally arriving at their spring break destination.

"We sat in the airport, we slept on the floor, and then finally we got to Fort Myers," Irons said.

On their return trip, Irons and his friends faced yet another delay. The repeated setbacks dampened their spirits after what had otherwise been an enjoyable spring break.

"Just kind of little sad that we got another delay," Irons said.

Airport officials at RSW say security lines are moving smoothly and the day has been typical for a busy travel season, despite concerns about the government shutdown impacting TSA workers nationwide. Thunderstorms around the airport are forcing planes to space out departures, which can lead to delays.

Not every traveler is running into problems. Ella Davis arrived at the airport three hours early expecting long lines but found the process seamless.

"We got to the airport three hours early, and there was no line for Tuesday or anything. So we were totally fine," Davis said.

Frank Marcallini said he and his travel companions prepared for chaos based on shutdown headlines and weather forecasts but were relieved when their flight departed on time.

"We were thinking of going very comically early because of the government shutdown, because we thought there would be delays, but it actually ended up being fine. It was completely on time," Marcallini said. "So and then weather, obviously too. We knew it was supposed to be rainy down here, but hopefully it was good enough, because it was just kind of patchy, and it seemed to be fine the whole flight."

Airport officials say they will continue monitoring weather conditions throughout the day and will notify travelers if anything unusual develops.

Passengers are encouraged to check their flight status before heading to the airport and allow extra time, especially with storms moving through the area.